SAN ANTONIO, TX – Way back in 2009, Ranger Creek was just an idea, and the owners of the brewery were just enthusiastic home brewers. They began entering homebrew competitions to test out recipes and hone their craft. The second competition they entered was the Dixie Cup in Houston, one of the largest homebrew competitions in the country. To their surprise, they took home a gold medal for their hefeweizen. This win was a huge achievement that got the home brewers just cocky enough to start their own brewery.

What is not common knowledge, is that the recipe for the hefeweisen was crafted by none other than co-founder and Head Distiller, TJ Miller.

Ranger Creek’s new summer seasonal is resurrecting this historic homebrew recipe. Love Struck Hefe is brewed in the traditional German style with a healthy dose of Texas attitude. A traditional weizen ale yeast gives this 5.4% ABV brew a nice banana nose, balanced with clove. Consistent with German tradition, it was mashed to bring out a deep, golden color along with a touch of malty sweetness. The brewery also altered the San Antonio water to match the water profile of Munich, which accentuates the German Hefe flavors. Love Struck’s name is inspired by the Stevie Ray Vaughan song, which gives the beer an electric, summer time energy. Like a traditional hefeweizen, the yeast should be roused before serving resulting in a cloudy appearance.

Love Struck Hefe will be available in draft and package from July through September. Fine craft beer bars in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas will carry it on tap, including Flying Saucer, Big Hops, Craft Pride, Whip In, and many more. It will also be available in 4-packs of 12 oz long neck bottles at Central Market, Specs, Whole Foods, Total Wine & More, Sunrise Minimart, select HEBs, and fine independent retailers. Limited edition authentic German Hefe glasses and commemorative t-shirts will be available at the brewery.

This beer follows Ranger Creek’s release of Strawberry Milk Stout as their spring seasonal. In total, 6 batches of Strawberry Milk Stout were brewed this year to keep up with the huge demand, which is a 300% increase over last year. The brewery and their amazing volunteers hand cut over 3,000 pounds of strawberries. This year’s batch of Strawberry Milk Stout was the fastest selling beer that Ranger Creek has released to date.

Miller and fellow co-founders Mark McDavid and Dennis Rylander, as well as Head Brewer Holland Lawrence, can be reached at 210-775-2099 or by email: info@drinkrangercreek.com.

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A fan of craft beer since the mid-nineties, Jeremy was inspired to begin writing a few years ago about the malted beverage that he loves, by his uncle, a long time wine writer in Colorado. A co-founder of San Antonio Beer Week, city chair for Open The Taps in San Antonio, holder of craft beer events, avid homebrewer and all around craft beer evangelist.
Jeremy also comes from a proud brewing tradition. His cousins, Carl and Joseph Occhiatio were the last owners of the historic Tivoli Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado from 1965-1969, of which his grandfather also worked.
All of this involvement in the world of beer has made not just an author, but also a cultivator off all things craft beer with a unique perspective on the emerging craft beer scene in San Antonio and Texas. Jeremy is also working toward his education as a judge in the Beer Judge Certification Program.
Jeremy can be reached at: ruinationpress@yahoo.com and for all things Open the Taps, jeremy@openthetaps.org.